The book, “The Naked Communist” by W. Cleon Skousen exposes the philosophy and ideological basis of communism, stripped of all pretense and propaganda – hence, the Naked Communist. Written during the Cold War, it discusses the underlying philosophy, goals, mentality, and progress of Communism (up to the time of its last printing in 1971). The book does the job of sifting through mounds of information to give the reader the scoop on what communism is all about in one concise, readable volume. The book is simple, straightforward, well-organized, well-written, and merciless in its exposure of Communism for what it really is. While many would think that this book’s subject is too outdated to bother with, I found that it was actually very applicable to today’s fight against progressivism/collectivism; their philosophical foundation, tactics, and many of their goals, are still the same. A notable thing about the book is that it was endorsed by President David O. McKay in the October 1959 General Conference of the Church. He said, “I admonish everybody to read that excellent book.” The book became a national best-seller and had a significant impact on the minds of Americans. W. Cleon Skousen later revealed in an audio talk that President McKay commissioned him to write the book, as it was to be published by the Church as a course of study. However, the political climate became such that it was too controversial, and so President McKay recommended that Skousen publish it privately. And so he did. Good thing, too, because it catapulted him to the national scene. The book was published by a publishing company headed by Thomas S. Monson, now Church President. President Monson spoke at W. Cleon Skousen’s funeral in 2006, no doubt partly because Skousen was such a prominent Mormon, and also because of their important working relationship on this monumental book. The book cover and chapter headings also contain wonderful illustrations by the famed artist Arnold Friberg, who painted the famously-recognizable Book of Mormon paintings still found in current editions of the Book of Mormon. “The Naked Communist” is still in print today, in a beautiful soft covered faithful reproduction of the 1971 printing.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 04:11:11 +0000
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